Deaf Law Centre hits out at discrimination ‘scandal’
Discrimination claims brought by deaf people climbed 37.5% in the last quarter, according to a legal charity.
The ‘shocking’ increase underlines the need for more law firms to provide a service tailored to deaf people’s needs, the charity said. Society also needs to address the ‘scandal’ of imprisoned deaf people unable to access training and other rehabilitation services, it added.
RAD (formerly the Royal Association for Deaf People) Deaf Law Centre said a ‘dramatic increase’ in claims since the economic crisis began was made worse when the Equality and Human Rights Commission stopped funding the charity in March.
RAD spokesman Jeff Brattan-Wilson said: ‘Society has changed, with the recession disproportionately affecting deaf people who cannot always find deaf-friendly advisers to help them. British Sign Language, not English, is the first language for most deaf people, but law firms rarely know where to find interpreters.
‘The result has been a shocking 37.5% [quarterly] increase in the number of discrimination claims.’ Brattan-Wilson said it was a ‘scandal’ that deaf prisoners serve a ‘double sentence’ because they cannot take advantage of education and training opportunities or take part in group activities.
The RAD Deaf Law Centre officially launches in July.
Comments
Deaf Legal Enterprise Community Interest Company (DLE)
I've been looking at the relevant websites and this has aspects beyond Jonathan Rayner's piece.
"RAD Deaf Law Centre was established in September 2010 and was then accepted as a full member of the Law Centres Federation in November 2010. It was the establishment of this law centre that has required a shift in focus for RAD’s Legal Services department, which became RAD Deaf Law Centre from 1 April 2012 onwards".
They go on to say:
"We are not able to charge clients for legal advice. However, we know that Deaf people sometimes find it difficult to get legal advice from mainstream legal advice services.
In order to ensure Deaf people have wider access to legal advice, we are working in partnership with Deaf Legal Enterprise, a community interest company, to provide a wider range of services, including buying, selling and moving house, writing wills, access to children, divorce, starting a new business, and advice and information for Deaf businesses and organisations!".
http://www.radlegalservices.org.uk/about-us/
It is very interesting to see a charity exploring new revenue streams in this way and provide a service to the community with which it is involved.
Here is what the DLE site says:
"Deaf Legal Enterprise (DLE) is a community interest company providing legal advice services to the Deaf community nationally. DLE works closely with RAD Deaf Law Centre and is being set up to provide low cost professional legal services to Deaf individuals at affordable rates for those on low and middle incomes. After staff costs and running costs any excess income generated from charges to clients is given to the Royal Association for Deaf people to help with its charity work. We are currently working on this website which will be launched in July 2012".
http://www.deaflegal.co.uk/
I suspect that we shall see other charities doing this sort of thing.